USA, Pilar Huerta. The October 18, 2011 covenant day Mass opened the Year of the Shrine Current and celebrated the third anniversary of the Cor Unum in Patre Shrine. We were privileged to have Oscar Cantu, Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of San Antonio as the main celebrant. The Mass was concelebrated by Monsignor Carlos Davalos, pastor of the nearby parish of Our Lady of Guadalupe, and by Fr. Marcelo Aravena, Schoenstatt Father. Music was provided by the St. Mary’s University student choir under the direction of Maria Apac-Smith.
Bishop Oscar Cantu celebrates October 18th Mass at the Cor Unum in Patre Shrine, Mount Schoenstatt, San Antonio, Texas, USA
More than 200 attended the evening Mass held on the patio and surrounding grounds of the Shrine. Our heavenly Father blessed us with excellent weather for an outdoor Mass. It was Bishop Cantu’s first visit to Mount Schoenstatt and the Cor Unum in Patre Shrine although he was familiar with Our Lady of Schoenstatt. As a teenager in Houston, Texas, the Pilgrim MTA visited his family home every month. The visits were coordinated through his parish. Later, his family permanently placed the picture of grace of our Mother Thrice Admirable, Queen and Victress of Schoenstatt in their home.
Special Blessing for Fr. Marcelo Aravena
Fr. Marcelo Aravena received a special blessing from Bishop Cantu acknowledging him as the new coordinator of the Schoenstatt Movement in the Archdiocese of San Antonio: “May the effect of God’s blessing give Fr. Marcelo new life and strength of spirit, so that the power of God’s love will enable him to care for the spiritual and temporal needs of this Movement. May he be a loving father, a gentle shepherd, and a wise teacher of your people. We ask this through Christ our Lord”. After the blessing, the Schoenstatt Family applauded their new coordinator. Fr. Marcelo thanked the bishop for his blessing and kind words and then invited all to renew our covenant by singing, My Queen, My Mother.
An MTA picture for the bishop
After the final blessing of the Mass, Bishop Cantu knelt in the Shrine to greet our Mother in her special place of grace and to pray. He was joined by the concelebrating priests and Fr. Christian Christensen, superior of the Schoenstatt Fathers of the United States.
A reception was held in the Center afterward. Fr. Marcelo presented a gift to Bishop Cantu from our Schoenstatt Family of a framed picture of our Mother Thrice Admirable. The Bishop joyfully accepted the gift with a kiss for our dear MTA!
